Track Record:The Story of the Caterpillar Occupation
This book provides a unique inside view of the 103-day occupation against closure of Caterpillar's factory in Scotland starting in January 1987. The authors of Track Record were present during the occupation and documented the entire campaign in a 'fly-on-the-wall' fashion with the full permission and support of the Joint Occupation Committee.
Based on tape recordings made at the time and interviews with the major protagonists in this industrial drama, Track Record vividly recreates the atmosphere and tension, the conflicting emotions and hopes aroused by the occupation. The authors explain why this dispute had a massive impact on Scottish political life, helping to isolate Scottish Conservatives in the run-up to the 1987 election. Track Record also raises wider questions about the role of multinational companies and the scope for resistance to them.
Reviews
There are many lessons to be learned from Caterpillar. The most important is that it only became a major issue because the women and men who worked there decided to fight. The uncompromising stand of the workforce was a forceful reminder that if workers do riot fight for themselves, nobody else will.
Ordinary trade union members conceived and conducted the Caterpillar occupation based on the collective decisions of the shop floor. I hope that ordinary trade unionists throughout Britain and beyond will purchase and read Track Record.